The Works of Nikolai Gogol, Vol. 1

Beside him walked a mare tied to the cart, whose humble appearance betrayed her advanced years. Many passersby, and especially young parubky unmarried young men, reached for their caps upon coming level with our peasant. However, it was not his gray mustache or his important stride that compelled them to do this; one only had to raise one's eyes slightly to see the reason for such reverence: on the cart sat a pretty daughter with a round face, with black eyebrows, smooth arcs raised above bright hazel eyes, with carelessly smiling pink lips, with red and blue ribbons tied in her hair, which, together with long braids and a bunch of wildflowers, rested like a rich crown upon her charming head. Everything seemed to occupy her; everything was wonderful and new to her.... and her pretty eyes ran incessantly from one object to another. How could she not be distracted! A girl of eighteen years at a fair for the first time! But not one of the passersby or travelers